One piece resilient bodied fluorescent lamp socket



p 1943- E. G. GAYNOR 2,329,464

ONE PIECE RESILIENTY BODIED FLUORESCENT LAMP SOCKET Filed Oct. 15, 19416: ga n) Patented Sept. 14, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ONE PIECERESILIENT BODIED FLUORES- CENT LAMP SOCKET 10 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in sockets forfluorescent lamps and has particular relation to unbreakable holder orsocket for such lamps.

An object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, unbreakable,one piece resilient bodied fluorescent lamp socket.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the inventionis shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations andmodifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scopeof the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the lamp socket of the invention;

Fig.2 is a rear elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an edge elevational view of the socket, the view being takenas looking from the lower edge of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the socket of the invention the frontportion thereof being removed;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken as along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a detail elevational view showing a terminal of afluorescentlamp in place in the socket;

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view showing one method of mounting thesocket;

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing another mounting method; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of two similar contact elementsemployed in the socket.

Referring in detail to the drawing the improved socket of the inventioncomprises a body generally designated l0 and of a one piece constructionbeing molded of a resilient material as live rubber. Thus the body is ofinexpensive manufacture and is unbreakable. In its rear face the body I0is provided with an opening or hole II for the reception of the pointedend portion of a wood screw or the like for the mounting of the socketas suggested in Fig. '7.

There it will be noted that the rear surface of the body It] is disposedagainst a support as a piece of wood l2 and that a screw l3 passingthrough the support is screwed into the opening I I. To replace thescrew l3 or in addition thereto adhesive l4 may be used to secure thesocket of the invention to a support.

Fig. 8 suggests another way in which the socket may be mounted on asupport. There the support is a plate l5 (of metal or wood or othermaterial as desired) and the rear surface of the body I0 is made concaveor dished and thus comprises a suction cup It used for securing thesocket body to the support. Other methods of securing the socket to asuitable support are within the scope of the invention.

Slots l1 and 18 for the entrance of the contact pins or terminals on theends of a fluorescent lamp (not shown) open through the lower edge andthe front face of the body l0. These slots give access to chambers 36and 31 and arranged in such chambers in positions to be engaged by suchcontacts or terminals, when inserted through the mentioned slots, aresimilar contact elements generally designated l9 and 20. Since the slotsI1 and 18 and the contact elements l9 and 20 are duplicate pairs adetailed description of one slot and its contact element will, it isbelieved, be suflicient.

Contact element 20 comprises (see Fig. 9) a piece of springy conductingmetal bent upon itself intermediate its ends as at 24 whereby theelement comprises a pair of plate-like portions or arms 22 and 23 ofwhich the latter is provided with an extension 24 to which an end 25 ofa lead-in wire 26 is soldered as shown. Arm 22 is provided with atransversely extending groove 21 the purpose of which will appear. Sincethe element 20 is of some springy metal it will be clear that the arm 22may be forced or sprung toward and from the arm 23.

Within the confines of the body Ill the chambers 36 and 31 are separatedby a solid wall portion 28 (into which the screw 13 enters) and thefront face of the body extends laterally of portion 28 and overhangs theedges of the charmhers 36 and 37 providing flanges 29 (see Fig. 5). Nearthe lower end of wall portion 28 but within the body pockets 30 areprovided for the reception of the bight portions 2| of the contactelements l9 and 20 as will more fully appear. A cavity 3| opens throughthe upper end of the body for the entrance of lead wires 25 as bestshown in Fig. 4. The lower end of this cavity is separated from thecontact element receiving chambers 36 and 3'! by webs 32 although thelatter are notched at 33 for the passage of the elements and for thereception of the extensions 24 of the elements. Toward their upper endsthe entrance slots l1 and 18 are rounded being extended slightly throughthe flanges 29 above mentioned and through opposite and more narrowflanges 35 at the edges of the entrance slots facing the flanges 29.

In manufacturing the lamp sockets of the invention a pair of the contactelements 19 and have their extensions 24 soldered or otherwise securedto exposed ends of the lead wires 26. Thereafter through the use of asuitable mechanical dilator (not shown) inserted through the upper endof the cavity 3| the latter is expanded at its entrance portion and thenotches 33 through the webs 32 are also expanded. Then the contactelements are inserted into the body through the cavity 3! and the bodyreturns to normal owing to the nature of the live rubber employed. Ifdesired benzine or the like may be applied to the body portions for thepurpose of temporarily softening the same and permittin of the insertionof the contact elements without the use of the mechanical dilator.

When the contact elements I9 and 20 are in place they are, the socketnot being in use, in expanded condition as shown in Fig. 4 and cannot bepulled back out of the chambers 36 and 31 of the socket body. Also asthe bight portions 2! of the elements are received in the pockets (illin the body such elements will not be casually pushed or pulled throughthe lower open ends of the entrance slots H and E8. The solid rear wallof the body and the overhanging flanges 29 and prevent any casualforward or rearward movement oi the elements relative to the body.

From Fig. 5 it will be clear that the arm 23 of the elements are againstthe sides of the body portion 2&3 and between the flanges 29 and thesolid back of the body. From Fig. 6 it will be understood that thechambers into which the contacts is and it are inserted extend above theupper or inner ends of the slots ll and where by the upper or inner freeends of the arms 22 of the elements are held between the front and rearwalls of the body and may not casually move out through the entranceslots ill and 38.

Figs. 1 and l clearly show that when the socket is not in use thecontact portions or arms 2? extend diagonally across the entrance slotsH and it. When the socket is to be used and is mounted the contact pinsor terminals on the ends of a fluorescent lamp are aligned with theentrances or lower ends of the slots ii and i8 and the lamp moved tocarry its terminals or pins inwardly along the slots.

Thus such terminals are brought into engagement with arms 2'2 of thecontact elements i9 and so and force or spring such arms toward contactarms as the lamp is moved into position. When the lamp terminals reachthe inner ends of the slots ii and ill the grooves ii in the elementarms 22 are aligned with and receive the terminals and press outwardlyagainst them holding them yieldingly by a pressure urging them apart andthus insuring good electrical connection. between the lamp terminals andthe elements l9 and iii and at the same time securely holding the lamp.While in the foregoing descriptionthe body has been described as of liverubber it is to be understood that it may be of natural or artificialrubber or other resilient material the feature being that the body heyielding and unbreakable. Certain artificial or synthetic rubbers havecharacteristics which are advantageous in particular instances andtherefore the word rubber when used herein is to be understood toinclude either or both of natural and artificial or synthetic rubber ormixtures of the same.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a lamp socket, a one piece resilient body having a pair of spacedchambers therein, a contact in each of said chambers, said contacts eachincluding a connector arm and an elongated arm supported by andresiliently movable toward and from the connector arm, spaced lampterminal entrance slots opening through the front wall of the body intothe respective chambers and extending substantially in the direction ofthe lengths of the respective elongated contact arms, and each of saidcontacts having its arms in diverging relation and arranged with itsconnector arm against a wall of its chamber and its elongated armextending diagonally across an entrance slot for yielding wiping contactwith lamp terminals inserted into and then moved longitudinally of saidslots.

2. In a lamp socket, a one piece resilient body having a pair of spacedchambers therein, a contact in each of said chambers, said contacts eachincluding a connector arm and an elongated arm supported by andresiliently movable toward and from the connector arm, spaced lampterminal entrance slots opening through the front wall of the body intothe respective chambers and extending substantially in the direction ofthe lengths of the respective elongated contact arms, each of saidcontacts having its arm in diverging relation and arranged with itsconnector arm against a. wall of its chamber and its elongated armextending diagonally across an entrance slot for yielding wiping contactwith lamp terminals inserted into and then moved longitudinally of saidslots, and said elongated diagonally disposed arms of the contactshaving transversely extending grooves partly receiving the lampterminals when the latter are moved fully home.

3. In a lamp socket, a one piece resilient body having a pair of spacedelongated chambers therein and spaced lamp terminal entrance slotsextending for substantially the length of and entering said chambers,pockets in the walls of the chambers adjacent the ends thereof, a pairof contact elements arranged one in each of said chambers and eachcomprising a pair of diverging resilient arms connected by a bightportion, said elements each having an arm arranged to be yieldinglyengaged by a lamp terminal inserted into its chamber through itsentrance slot, and said elements having their bight portions in said.pockets whereby the elements are held in place and may not be casuallymoved out through the ends of said chambers.

a. In a lamp socket, a one piece resilient body having a pair ofelongated chambers therein and lamp terminal entrance slots extendingfor substantially the length of and entering said chamhere through thefront wall and one edge of the body, pockets in the walls of saidchambers adjacent that edge of the body through which said slots enter,a pair of contact elements arranged one in each of said chambers andeach comprising a pair of diverging resilient arms connected by a bightportion, said elements each having an arm arranged to be engaged by alamp terminal inserted into its chamber through its entrance slot, saidelements having their bight portions in said pockets whereby the elementare held in place against casual movement out through the portions ofthe entrance slots in the edge of the body, said entrance slots of lesswidth than said chambers, and said elements when the socket is not inuse of greater width between their arms than said slots whereby portionsof the front wall of the body overlie the elements and prevent theircasual movement outwardly through said slots.

5. In a lamp socket, a one piece resilient body having a pair or chambertherein and lamp terminal entrance slots entering said chambers throughthe front wall and one edge of the body, a cavity in said body beyondthe inner ends of said chambers and separated from the latter byportions of the body and communicating therewith througha pair of smallnotches, contact elements in said chambers, extensions on said elementsand projecting through said notches into said cavity, wires fastened tosaid extensions and passing out of the cavity, said elements within saidchambers each including a spring metal piece bent upon itself whereby tocomprise a pair of normally diverging arms and a bight portionconnecting said arms whereby said elements may not be casually pulledfrom said chamber into said cavity. p ckets in the chamber portionsremote from said cavity and facing toward the latter and receiving thebight portions of the elements whereby the latter may not casually bepulled or pushed from the chambers through the outer ends of said slots,and said elements within said chambers adapted to be contacted by lampterminals inserted through said slots.

6. In a lamp socket, a one piece resilient body having a pair ofchambers therein and lamp terminal entrance slots entering saidchambers, a cavity in said body beyond the inner ends of said chambersand separated from the latter by pertions of the body and communicatingtherewith through a pair ,of small notches, contact elements in saidchambers, extensions on said elements and projecting through saidnotches into said cavity, wires fastened to said extensions and passingout of the cavity, said elements within said chambers each including aspring metal piece bent upon itself whereby to comprise a pair ofnormally diverging arms and a bight portion connecting said arms wherebysaid elements may not casually be pulled from the chambers into saidcavity, other means preventing casual movement of said elements outthrough the outer ends of said slots, and said elements within saidchambers adapted to be contacted by lamp terminals inserted through saidslots.

7. In a lamp socket, a body comprising a single block of resilientmaterial having flat front and rear aides and having spaced chambers andspaced entrance slots opening through said front side and an edge of thebody into the respective chambers, a pocket in each of said chambersinblock of live rubber having flat front and rear sides and having apair of chambers therein and entrance slots opening through said flatfront side and an edge into the respective chambers, said entrance slotsof less width than said chambers and entering the latter toward theirremote edge portions, separator means integral with aid body between andseparating said chambers, a contact in each of said chambers, saidcontacts each comprising a pair of arms, leads connected respectivelywith one arm of each contact and extending out of the body, saidcontacts arranged with their lead connected arms against said separatormeans and with their other arms extendin diagonally across the entranceslots of the respective chambers from adjacent said separator meanstoward the remote edges of the chambers, and said diagonally extendingarms resiliently yieldable whereby as lamp contact terminals areinserted into and moved inwardly longitudinally of said entrance slotsaid arms are forced toward one another by being engaged on their outersides by said terminals.

9. In a lamp socket, a body having a pair of chambers therein andentrance slots opening into the respective chambers, separator meansbetween and separating said chambers, a contact in each of saidchambers, said contacts each comprising a pair of arms, leads, connectedrespectively with one arm of each contact and extending out of the body,said contacts arranged with their lead connected arms against saidseparator mean and with their other arms extending diagonally across theentrance slots of the respec--- tive chambers from adjacent saidseparator means toward the remote edges of the chambers, and saiddiagonally extending arms resiliently yieldable whereby as lamp contactterminals are inserted into and moved inwardly longitudinally of saidentrance slots said arms are forced toward one another by being engagedon their outer sides by said terminals.

10. In a lamp socket, a one piece resilient body having a pair ofchambers therein and lamp terminal entrance slots entering said chambersthrough the front wall and one edge of the body, a cavity in said bodybeyond the inner ends of said chambers and separated from the latter byportions of the body and communicating therewith through a pair of smallnotches, contact elements in said chambers, extensions on said elementsand projecting through said notches into said cavity, leads fastened tosaid extensions and passing out of the cavity, said elements within saidchambers each including normally diverging arms whereby said elementsmay not be casually pulled from said chambers into said cavity, pocketsin the chamber portions remote from said cavity and facing toward thelatter and receiving portions of the elements whereby the latter may notbe casually pulled or pushed from the chambers through the outer ends ofsaid slots, and said elements within said chambers adapted to becontacted by lamp terminals inserted 65 through said slots.

EDWIN G. GAYNOR.

